Chennai Corporation has launched a drive to educate retail shops about local alternatives to single-use plastic bags, including products made from banana leaf, cloth, and other local biodegradable materials. The Corporation Commissioner, J. Radhakrishnan, along with a team of officials, visited retail shops that use single-use plastic bags and advised the traders to find local biodegradable alternatives for packaging. Corporation officials will assist the traders in finding affordable local biodegradable products for packaging. The focus will be on promoting affordable paper bags and encouraging customers to bring cloth bags. Non-recyclable plastic waste from the city’s wards is being sent to baling machines and converted into bales, which are then sent to the cement industry. The Corporation is also in discussions with private agencies for alternative methods to incentivize conservancy workers involved in plastic waste segregation. The aim of these initiatives is to prevent plastics from reaching the ocean. Despite repeated raids on sources like George Town, retail units continue to use single-use plastic bags. To address this, the Corporation is taking direct action to educate roadside shops, street vendors, and flower shops near religious places. The educational campaign is being conducted alongside seizure operations. As of December 2023, a total of 1,954 tonnes of plastic waste have been collected at five baling centers in the city.